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A major Sunderland claim has emerged on the club’s plans for the rest of the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Alex Neil has confirmed that the Black Cats are far from being done in the market as they plot further additions to their squad.

He told the Sunderland Echo: “We’ve still got four, potentially five that we want to bring in before the window ends.”We need to make sure the squad is competitive and not only that, they brought four or five really fresh lads on who know the level, and that can really make a difference.”I think what you could see today is that it was a step up in intensity. I thought towards the end of the game our lads were dead on their feet, it really is difficult. Normally we score a goal in League One, the opposition gets a bit scared and they sink back into their shape. We control the ball and it’s basically a case of when will the next goal come.”At this level, Coventry came here thinking, ‘we’re better than Sunderland and we have better players, we’re coming to win’.” Supporters will be delighted

Black Cats fans will be delighted by this claim from Neil because it now promises to be a very exciting end to the window for the club.

Neil and Kristjaan Speakman have a month or so left to bring players into the club, with the market closing on the 1st of September, and supporters can now look forward to seeing a host of fresh faces coming through the door.

As the head coach said above, Coventry had quality in depth and that paid off in the latter stages of the game as they gained control towards the end of the match. They were able to overwhelm the Black Cats and forced them back into their own box – with their attacking momentum spiking in the final 15 minutes.

Whilst the equalising goal was a moment of individual quality from Viktor Gyokeres, Coventry put enough pressure on the hosts to deserve a point from the game.

This highlighted the step up in quality from League One and that is why supporters will be delighted to read that Neil is keen on four or five more players coming in as that will, hopefully, provide him with the tools he needs to avoid being overwhelmed in matches.

AND in other news, Sunderland “seem hopeful” of sealing major deal that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Crystal Palace are in for Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill, whose future at the west London club has been questioned.

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Evening Standard, who claimed that the Eagles are among the frontrunners for his signature, although other Premier League clubs are also said to be interested, with Arsenal the main rivals mentioned in the report.

Chelsea are looking to offload the defender due to their imminent more experienced defensive signings, which has handed Patrick Vieira a huge boost in Palace’s pursuit of the player.

He can be Gallagher 2.0

Having already earned huge success last season with a Chelsea loanee in Conor Gallagher, who netted eight goals for the south Londoners and duly earned England recognition, perhaps Palace can repeat the feat with another youngster from Stamford Bridge.

This time, however, the opportunity to permanently secure a young talent from west London will be of paramount importance to Vieira, who will not want to see another young stars leaving Selhurst Park after just one season.

Colwill spent last term on loan at Huddersfield Town and earned huge praise for his maturity and incredibly quality, especially at just 19 years old. He was instrumental in their playoff push, featuring in 31 league games and even contributing to three goals.

It is therefore no surprise to see him earn an average SofaScore rating of 7.10, which saw him ranked fourth amongst his Terriers team-mates.

With such a wise head on young shoulders, many have sung the praises of this talented defender with frightening speed.

He was dubbed “outstanding” by soap director and Huddersfield fan Duncan Foster, whilst The Athletic journalist Simon Johnson outlined him as a “rising talent” in a feature which compared the defender to Chelsea legend John Terry.

The £5k-per-week starlet will likely command a hefty fee, but Vieira already has a core group of young, hungry players with points to prove.

Adding Colwill further supports this mould, and he could make a fine addition to the Eagles’ already impressive centre-back selection.

With the opportunity neatly presenting itself for Palace to swoop in and sign this Chelsea teenager, it appears to be a no-brainer that they should act quickly to secure a near-repeat of their Gallagher swoop on a permanent deal, continuing their huge strides forward under Vieira.

AND in other news: Journalist claims Crystal Palace could now break “their transfer record” to sign “incredible” £30m gem.

Everton have been linked with a number of players already this summer and now a transfer target from the past has resurfaced as a potential signing that the club will explore again.

What’s the latest?

Greek football journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos has claimed that Everton are interested in signing Pape Abou Cisse this summer.

Chorianopoulos simply tweeted: “Everton are interested in Olympiacos CB Pape Abou Cissé.”

Everton were previously linked to the Olympiacos defender in January.

Lampard needs him badly

There is no doubt that Frank Lampard desperately needs to improve the back-line at Everton following a disappointing season for the Toffees that left the side in a relegation scrap until the penultimate game of the season.

The defenders collectively earned a lot of criticism for their performances in the Premier League with Jamie Carragher branding them a “Championship back four” after their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last season.

With that being said, signing new defenders to bolster and add quality to the back four will be a priority with James Tarkowski expected to be announced when his contract expires at Burnley next week.

Cisse has impressed over 132 appearances for Olympiacos, scoring sixteen goals and bagging two assists over the last five years from centre-back, as well as showing off his talent in Ligue One whilst on a six-month loan at Saint-Etienne.

Over 14 appearances for the French side, the six-foot-six monster made an average of 1.1 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and an astonishing 6.1 clearances per game, as well as winning the large majority of his duels combined (72%) – proving that he has a number of phenomenal defensive attributes.

Lampard could form a brick wall duo if he can complete the signing of the Senegalese defender to join the Tarkowski in his new-look back four next season and the partnership between the pair could seriously improve the fortunes of the Toffees in the Premier League.

Ultimately, Moshiri could secure a great piece of business if he can get a deal over the line for Cisse this summer alongside the signing of Tarkowski, as it would add considerable depth to the defence in the squad giving Lampard quality options to deploy in his team.

AND in other news: Contact made: Everton plot move for “quick” £15m “special talent”, Frank will love him

Tottenham Hotspur are currently in ‘talks’ to sign a ‘tenacious’ defender for manager Antonio Conte, according to a report from Italy.

The Lowdown: Spurs busy…

Amid all the noise surrounding Premier League star Yves Bissouma and his move to Spurs, it is reliably believed that the Lilywhites are not slowing down there.

Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have allegedly earmarked more potential signings at Hotspur Way this summer with links having surrounded a possible new wing-back.

As per The Evening Standard, Tottenham’s head coach would ideally like one new full-back for each flank, both on the right and on the left.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘talks’ ongoing…

Now, according to a report by Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), it appears the north Londoners are well and truly aiming to make Conte’s wish a reality.

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The Italian newspaper claims Tottenham are in negotiations to sign Destiny Udogie from Udinese as the player’s agents ‘continue their talks’ with both Spurs and Serie A giants Juventus.

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 19-year-old appears to be emerging as Serie A’s hottest defensive sensation, as backed by glowing endorsements from Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who believes the defender is a physical specimen.

He claims Udogie has many fine attributes, including his reputation as ‘hard working’ and a ‘tenacious tackler’ with ‘top pace and physicality’ – not to mention ‘superb’ technique (Facebook). The youngster averaged 1.8 tackles per game in Serie A this season while providing nine direct goal involvements (Whoscored).

We believe the left-wing-back may well be a fine option for Conte at Spurs and reliable reporters like Gianluca Di Marzio back that Tottenham are certainly in the mix for his signature.

In other news: ‘It is understood…’ – Sky Sports share major live TV transfer news out of Tottenham! Find out more here.

Everton are keen to sign Ismaila Sarr after Watford suffered relegation from the Premier League, according to French outlet Jeunes Footeux. 

The lowdown

Watford wound up finishing 19th in the table, a full 15 points adrift of safety and only a point above bottom-place Norwich City.

Sarr, who has two years left on his contract, has now experienced two demotions in the past three seasons.

He’s played the vast majority of his minutes as a right winger, but also has 36 games’ worth of experience on the left and 31 through the middle.

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The latest

Sarr apparently has a ‘good chance’ of securing a move away from Vicarage Road during the summer transfer window.

If an ‘interesting offer’ arrives, Watford will be willing to let him go, with ‘several’ PL sides and an unnamed German club in the equation. Everton, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are all name-checked as interested parties.

The report adds that Sarr is unlikely to be sold for less than €35million, which equates to around £30million.

The verdict

The season got off to a promising start for Sarr as he bagged four goals in his first six matches, but things soon tailed off.

In November, he sustained a ligament injury that would keep him out until February, and he missed six more matches before the campaign was over.

Since the end of September, he’s only been able to contribute one goal and two assists.

But this is a player who’s previously been courted by giants. His agent revealed that he was on verge of signing a contract with Everton’s local rivals Liverpool in January 2021 before the Reds refused to meet Watford’s demands.

What’s more, team-mate Ben Foster has marvelled at his ‘scary’ abilities and even described him as a ‘freak’, insisting he’s never seen anybody with so much acceleration.

Could Everton make Liverpool rue their transfer stance?

In other news, Lampard is eager to sign this Chelsea gem.

Newcastle United must target a top-six finish in the Premier League next season after what they’ve shown in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, claims former top-flight goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s season

After 19 games played this season, Newcastle sat in 19th place with a dire total of 11 points.

However, since the arrival of Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes and Matt Targett in January, Eddie Howe’s side look transformed.

As a result, the Magpies finished the campaign in 11th place with 49 points, just nine points behind sixth place Manchester United.

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The Latest: Kenny’s claim

Paddy Kenny believes that Newcastle should be aiming for a finish in the top-six next season, given what he’s seen at St. James’ Park since January.

Speaking with Football Insider ahead of the transfer window opening, the 44 year-old claimed:

“It sounds crazy but from what I’ve seen, why not?

“If they had this team and manager from the first week of the season they would have finished in Europe this season, make no mistake about that.

“So, with a few new players this summer, why can’t we be talking about Newcastle in Europe?

“Some people have said Champions League, I think that’s still a few years away yet.

“But Europa League or even the Conference League would be amazing for them, I know the fans would love having European football back at St James’ Park.

“I think they are better than the likes of Wolves and Brighton and they have been up there this season. Why not?”

The Verdict: Busy summer?

With the Magpies expected to dip into the transfer market again this summer with the addition of ‘two or three quality signings’, the idea of qualifying for European football becomes a far more realistic proposition.

Newcastle’s last participation in a European competition was a Europa League campaign in the 2012/13 season.

However, with the Tyneside club under new management and with the arrival of a number of strong additions to the squad, if Howe can keep his side playing like they were towards the end of the season, then it would not be surprising to see the Magpies challenging the likes of Manchester United, West Ham and Leicester for the top spots in Europe.

In other news: Newcastle United: Kieran Maguire shares disappointing financial news

The no-ball that reprieved Andre Russell ended up costing Kings XI Punjab 29 runs, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index

ESPNcricinfo stats team27-Mar-2019When Andre Russell got a second chance after being bowled off a no-ball from Mohammed Shami in the 17th over, you could sense that it would be a key event in the innings. On 3 off 5 balls at that stage, Russell went on to bludgeon 45 from the next 12 deliveries to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to 218.ESPNcricinfo LtdAccording to ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index, which puts a quantitative value on every lucky event in a game, Russell’s reprieve helped Knight Riders score an extra 29 runs. This is calculated after taking into account the runs that the other batsmen, coming in after Russell, would have been expected to score off those 12 extra balls that Russell was lucky to face.Given that the final margin of result was only 28 runs, it could be argued that the no-ball actually cost Kings XI the match (though it’s true that both teams would have approached the second innings differently had the target been 190 instead of 219).Twenty-three of Russell’s 45 runs came off five balls from Shami, who will now surely pay extra attention to fielders inside the ring, given that the no-ball was called as Kings XI only had three inside the circle for that delivery.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe 29 extra runs that Knight Riders scored makes this the luckiest event of IPL 2019. Keep watching these pages as ESPNcricinfo tracks the luckiest and unluckiest players and teams throughout IPL 2019.

Key numbers from the first Test, including Steve O’Keefe’s control percentage and Australia’s scoring pattern against R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja

Bharath Seervi and Gaurav Sundararaman25-Feb-20170 Wickets taken by Steve O’Keefe from the Pavilion End, from nine overs. All 12 of his wickets came from the Hill End. O’Keefe did not bowl from the Pavilion End after his first spell in the first innings. In the second innings, he began from the Hill End and continued bowling from that end unchanged. Of the 20 India wickets, 16 were taken by a bowler bowling from the Hill End. Of the four taken by bowlers bowling from the Pavilion End, three were taken by Nathan Lyon, the last three dismissals in the match.79 The control percentage for Indian batsmen against O’Keefe, which means 21% of the time he drew false strokes from the Indian batsmen. Despite taking 12 wickets in the game, O’Keefe wasn’t the bowler who forced the highest percentage of false shots from batsmen; against Nathan Lyon, the control percentage for India’s batsmen was only 70, which suggests he was unlucky to not take more than five wickets in the match. In fact, India’s two spinners main drew more false shots than O’Keefe: Australia’s control percentage was only 76 against R Ashwin and 73 against Ravindra Jadeja. However, O’Keefe’s fuller length, and the fact that he got less turn, ensured that he got the edges and the wickets, while the other spinners beat the bat more often.67 Average of India’s top-five batsmen against left-arm spinners before this series – each of them averaged above 45, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli averaging above 100. In this match, each of them were dismissed by O’Keefe at least once and their collective average fell to 56.25. In the 2016-17 season, other visiting left-arm spinners picked up 11 wickets giving away 839 runs, an average of 76.27. In this match alone, O’Keefe picked 12 wickets at an average of 5.83.14 Dismissals for India while playing a defensive shot. Australia, on the other hand, lost 14 wickets while looking to attack and six while defending.4 Number of reviews India took when fielding, and were wrong on all occasions. On the other hand, Australia reviewed only once when fielding and got it right. Australia batsmen reviewed six times and got two right while India batsmen got one right in three attempts. In the third innings, off two consecutive overs of Jayant Yadav India reviewed and got both wrong thus finishing their reviews and in the 56th over when Steve Smith could have been out if India had reviews left. In the fourth innings, both openers reviewed Umpire’s decision and had failed, thus India lost both their reviews very early in the innings. Overall, both teams used seven reviews, the visitors had three successes and hosts only one.

When batting When fielding Team No. of reviews Successful No. of reviews SuccessfulIndia 3 1 4 0Australia 6 2 1 165 Percentage of runs scored by the Australian batsmen on the off side against R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja conceded 72% of his runs came on the off side while the figure was 60% for Ashwin in the same region. During his century, Steven Smith scored 77% of his runs against Jadeja on the off side while 75% of runs scored against Ashwin were towards the leg side. Smith did not play against the spin much, thereby reducing the risk of getting dismissed.79.01 Percentage of dot balls Smith faced off Jadeja. Against each of the other three bowlers – Ashwin, Umesh Yadav and Jayant – he did not have more than 56% in dot balls. He had a strike rate of over 60 against each of the other three bowlers, but only 38.27 against Jadeja and finally lost his wicket to him.12 Percentage of runs scored by Australia off the sweep and reverse sweep. Australia scored 39 runs through the sweep and 17 runs through the reverse sweep while losing one wicket to the same. This has been an effective shot in the sub-continent. India, on the other hand, had the opportunity to sweep only eight times scoring 18 runs from those.

While their performances in India weren’t the most eye-catching, Farhaan Behardien’s all-round competence and coach Russell Domingo’s hours of homework were vital to South Africa’s limited-overs success

Firdose Moonda26-Oct-2015Summertime and the living is easy… at least if you’re South African. Two series, two wins and that’s before you’ve realised where those contests were, who they were against and what they were the precursor to.For the record, it was against India in India in the first three weeks of a ten-week tour. South Africa’s wins included a first-ever T20 series victory in their first-ever T20 series in India and a first-ever bilateral ODI series win in five attempts. So yes, it was pretty damn special and it came with all the frills and fireworks a special occasion merits.There were the three captain’s knocks from AB de Villiers, one a heroic hundred in a losing cause, there was the consistency from the old hand, Faf du Plessis, that eventually blossomed into an innings of craft and cramp, there was the redemption of Quinton de Kock, who announced himself as an international cricketer against India again and there was the revelation of Kagiso Rabada who proved pace is pace and nothing compares. If you had been following the series at all you already know all those things and you also know that while they are the standout reasons South Africa won, they are not the only reasons.South Africa won because around de Villiers, du Plessis, de Kock and Rabada, there were others, chiefly Farhaan Behardien and Russell Domingo. The finisher and the fine-tuner have played silent roles in South Africa’s success and it’s time to make some noise about them.Behardien was South Africa’s fourth-highest run-scorer, ahead of Hashim Amla and JP Duminy (although Duminy missed the last two matches with injury) and has reached a level of consistency expected of a lower-order batsman. He is no Kieron Pollard – he is only about half the size – but he has become the finisher David Miller was supposed to be. In this series, he scored 124 runs and boasted an average of 41.33, thanks to two unbeaten scores and this year, he has played 20 ODIs, batted 15 times and averages 40.00, with a strike rate of 104.16.Add to that the fact that Behardien can bowl some of the fifth bowler’s overs. Although he was not a strike bowler, he had an economy rate of 6.15, marginally better than Duminy’s 6.71, which meant South Africa did not have to force the issue of a seam-bowling allrounder, especially since it seems they don’t have too many options. Including Chris Morris or David Wiese, who missed this series with injury, runs the risk of shortening the batting line-up but South Africa may not have to do that if they can put their trust in Behardien.Like Ryan McLaren, Behardien has had his doubters and in the same way McLaren did, he has benefitted from consistency in selection and silenced them. Behardien understands he may not be the next superstar and has made peace with his limitations. Teams need people like that as much as they do the big names.Someone who knew that all along was Domingo. In fact, he knew it so well that when he saw he was not going to add value as a cricketer – and that was way back when Domingo was still a club player – he decided to become a coach instead. That was 18 years ago, when the concept of the international coach was not as limited to the former player as it is now. These days, the prevailing opinion is that a Gary Kirsten or an Andy Flower can offer more than a Domingo or a Mike Hesson, but both are steadily proving the stereotype wrong.In his two-and-half-years in charge, Domingo has already gone where no other South African coach has gone before. He is the only one to have won a World Cup knockout game. Before this tour, he had been in charge for 14 ODI and nine T20 series and South Africa had won eight of the former and two of the latter. That may not immediately sound impressive but it included victories in Sri Lanka in both formats, in New Zealand, in the UAE and at home. They have done all of that while going through waves of change that have included the retirements of some of the stalwarts.Domingo has overseen the transition by sticking to a simple strategy of trusting the numbers but adjusting the gameplan to suit conditions. He does his homework before South Africa play and although knowing the ground average won’t help a team win a game, it will tell them whether they are on the right track. Knowing that spinners have done better than seamers from a particular end or that slower-ball bouncers are better options than yorkers at the death somewhere is also valuable insight.These days, South Africa speak with authority on those aspects of the game they may previously have simply admitted to not knowing much about. They tell local media that they expect bounce when everyone is gazing at a pancake or that the new playing conditions mean they are more likely to use short balls later on so they can have men caught at deep midwicket. That kind of thinking is Domingo’s and it has become South Africa’s. They enjoy being more informed and take pride in the nerdishness.After all, in a typical South African summer time, the living is often easier for those who got through the end-of-year exams knowing they had passed than for those anxiously awaiting the outcome. And right now, South Africa are top of the class.

The heat, the frenzy, and the broken chairs – all made you feel like you had gone back in time

Nandakumar Ganesh28-Apr-2014Choice of game
The temperature was rising towards 40 degrees, the humidity was 78%, and the traffic was literally stop-and-go. The parking area was strewn with dirt and throngs of people were huddled outside the rusty iron gate. But when I entered the ground, a whiff of nostalgia hit me as I remembered some of the greatest matches played here in this veteran host of ODIs. Welcome to the Sharjah Cricket Stadium for the battle between the Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.Team supported
Chennai have hit a purple patch and there is no stopping them. The opening stand between Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith had already devastated three very renowned bowling attacks of Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals, so Chennai entered the game as clear favourites.Key performer
A much-improved cricketer now, Smith played with gusto and common sense, giving the utmost respect to Dale Steyn’s bullets and whacking Amit Mishra’s over-pitched deliveries. He made never looked troubled for runs. The ferocity with which he hit the straight fours showed how he had picked up some of McCullum’s batting traits.Shots of the day
Hyderabad’s run-scoring was flagging after Aaron Finch was dismissed. Karn Sharma, an underrated batsman, rose to the occasion and dispatched a Ben Hilfenhaus short ball into orbit. The ball disappeared behind the canopy-shaped tents of the west stand, possibly landing in the traffic outside. The next delivery was pitched on outside off: Sharma used a high back-lift and shaped a wonderful six over deep extra cover.In Chennai’s innings, Smith straight-batted a six over Ishant Sharma’s head and followed through the picturesque shot with a stylish pose, something for the photographers.Crowd meter
Despite Sunday being a working day here in the UAE, spectators flocked in thousands; some even grouping up outside the stadium to watch from the big screens. In contrast to the one-odd Australian, South African or a West Indian in the Dubai Cricket Stadium, Sharjah was inundated with Indians. The seating also had ’90s feel to it – some of the chairs coming off their hinges, the north stand seats sporting no backrests, and the stairs being used as seats in some areas. But the fans were undeterred by all these inconveniences. They had come to get their fill of high-octane T20 action. And they did.Entertainment
The localisation of sound was not all that impressive in Sharjah, as it was in Dubai. The light show made up for this deficit though. Lasers from the east stand reached every nook and corner of the stadium and spot-lit the cheerleaders sporadically, when the chance came.Darren Sammy provided comic relief when he copied a couple of jigs from the cheerleaders while manning the boundary, sending the nearby spectators roaring with laughter.Marks out of ten
6.